What If
by GoldenUnicorn19
Summary: What if Bruce and Diana met in an alternate universe where there where no superheroes or supervillians? Then would he let her into his life? Or would she be the one trying to push him away? BMxWW, some SMxLL. WonderBat AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Diana leaned back in her office chair with a sigh of mixed defeat and relief. As ambassador for the United Nations, her job is most usually tiring and somewhat stressful, but she loves it. The fact the she has the chance to make a big difference in the world is something she takes much pride in.

"Donna, I'm going out for coffee with Lois!" Diana called to her younger sister, who was stretched out on the couch in the living room of the penthouse they shared, watching one of the Harry Potter movies.

"Have fun." Came the reply. Diana shut the door to the suite to the sounds of someone yelling "Expelliarmus!" followed by someone else being thrown backwards into something wooden. Diana smiled and chuckled inwardly as she began to walk to the elevator. Ever since Donna and her had discovered the Harry Potter universe when they were kids, they'd become thoroughly obsessed with it, buying several copies of each movie and book, and countless other things. They'd left a lot of the stuff in their mother's attic, but still had too much for it to be considered normal. It was mostly all Donna's though. Honest.

"Di! Hey, wait up!"

Diana turned to find her long time friend Shayera Hol rushing down the hall towards her.

"Shay, it's been a while." She greeted as they stopped before the elevator.

"It has. How's life treating you?"

"Same as ever. How 'bout you?"

"Same here."

There was a brief moment of silence as the elevator doors opened and the two women stepped in side by side.

"Where are you headed?" Shayera asked, her hand hovering over the control panel.

"The main floor. I'm going out for coffee with someone."

"Ooh, is this someone, perhaps, a man?"

Diana rolled her eyes as the elevator began moving. Ever since high school, Shayera had been pestering her about not having a boyfriend. She'd had a relationship with a few people before, but it just didn't feel right. "It's alright, Di." She remembered Shayera saying one night. "You'll find someone." To be truthful, Diana wasn't sure if she really wanted a relationship with a man. She was happy with the life she had, surrounded by friends and family. She also remembered all too well the time Donna had come home, a broken and sobbing mess because her boyfriend had unexpectedly broken up with her. That was something she didn't really care to go through. Not again.

"No." Diana answered. "It's Lois."

Shayera nodded at her. "I have to go in to the station, recover something-or-other from a crime scene."

Diana nodded back to her friend as the elevator doors opened and they stepped out. "Good luck, Shay."

"Later, Di." Shayera called over her shoulder as she took a left on the sidewalk, while Diana turned to the right. Luckily for her, the coffee shop she was meeting Lois at wasn't very far away, and it didn't take her very long to get there. She pushed open the door and entered the shop, glancing around for any sign of her friend. When she didn't see the feisty reporter anywhere, she ordered her usual Iced Mocha and settled in a corner booth to wait. Lois showed up a few minutes later and, after ordering her own drink, sat in the booth across from Diana.

"Hey!" Lois chirped.

"Hi, Lois." Diana returned her friend's enthusiastic greeting with her own. "How have you been?"

Lois shrugged and took a sip of her drink. "Alright, I guess. And you?"

"Not much different. I'm just the same old boring Diana."

Lois chuckled. "You're anything but boring, Di. Though, you have been a little more… inactive recently. Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all. I've just had a lot of work and haven't had time for much else."

"You'll be going to the charity gala in Gotham tonight, surely?"

Diana hesitated. She didn't really have much work left to do, but didn't really have the energy to go to a gala, either. "I'm not sure, Lois."

"Oh, come on, Di. It'll be fun. I promise."

Diana winced inwardly. The last time Lois had insisted she go to something, saying it would be "fun", she'd ended up almost drowning in the Delaware Bay.

"Please." Lois added.

"Fine, fine. I'll be there."

"Yay!" Lois exclaimed, much like a young child. "It's been too long since we've gone anywhere together."

Diana nodded and took a sip of her Iced Mocha as her friend continued talking.

 **Bruce's POV, a few hours later**

"Ace!" The young German Shepherd looked up innocently at his owner, tie still clenched in his jaws.

"Ace. Drop it." Bruce tried again, crouching down and reaching for the tie. To his dismay, Ace bounced backwards, tail wagging.

"Come here boy. Come on, Ace." Bruce said encouragingly.

Ace trotted forward again, only to lunge out of reach once his master made a grab for the tie.

"Why did I ever want a dog.." Bruce grumbled to himself. He was mildly surprised when a familiar voice answered the bedroom doorway.

"I believe you said something about 'needing more exercise', Master Bruce."

"Well," Bruce said, standing to face his surrogate father. "This isn't exactly what I meant."

"I warned you not to get a puppy." Alfred said as he reached down and plucked the tie from Ace's mouth. "Your tie, Sir."

"Uh, thanks Alfred. Although, I should probably use a different one now.." Bruce looked down at the black tie in his hands, covered in dog drool and teeth marks. No thanks to Ace.

"Of course." The British butler walked past his charge, taking the tie out of his hand and quickly tossing it into a nearby laundry bin before heading to the closet. Alfred came back a few moments later, another tie in hand. "Here you are, Master Bruce. Now I suggest we leave before you are any more late."

"Right." Bruce said, taking one final glance in the mirror before following the Englishman out of the manor, to where a limo was already waiting for them. He got in silently, occupied with thoughts of the charity gala he was heading to. He was supposed to meet Clark and Lois there… five minutes ago. Perfect. When he did arrive, fashionably late, he ignored the paparazzi and made his way into the building, then over to where Clark was standing by the refreshments table.

"Bruce, good to see you!" Clark greeted in his usually cheery manner.

"Hello, Clark." Bruce said, coming to stand beside his friend. "Waiting for Lois?"

Clark nodded and glanced around the room. "She's bringing someone, apparently. Wouldn't tell me who is was."

"Jealous, much?" Bruce teased.

"What? No!"

Bruce chuckled at his friends shocked expression. "Relax, Kent. I was just teasing. Here she comes."

Clark followed Bruce's gaze. Sure enough, Lois was coming towards them, flute of champagne already in hand, with a beautiful raven-haired woman in tow.

"Diana! I didn't know it was you Lois was bringing along."

The brunette smiled. "Well, it is me. Who's this?" She turned to Bruce, who had been admiring her from slightly behind and to the side of Clark.

"Bruce Wayne." He stepped forward and offered her his hand.

"Ah, Gotham's most eligible bachelor. I'm Diana Price." Diana took his hand in her own and shook it.

"Metropolis's Princess. Nice to finally meet you."

"Same to you." She released his hand, and Bruce immediately missed the warmth of hers.

"So, Kal, what have you been up to…"

Their conversation faded into the background as Bruce watched Diana. She was wearing a flowing white Grecian style dress that fit her perfectly, accentuating her every curve. Her hair was curled, framing her face and tumbling over her shoulders and down her back like an ebony waterfall.

"Bruce?"

"What?" Bruce snapped to attention. Clark was staring at him with a knowing gleam in his eye. "What?" He repeated.

"Nothing." Clark looked away and took a sip of the champagne that had appeared in his hand.

"I'm going to use the ladies room." Diana excused herself.

"I'll come with you." Lois followed Diana, weaving through all the guests. Bruce stared after them.

"You should ask her to dance." Clark said bluntly.

"What? Who?"

"Dance. Diana. With you."

"Me? Please."

"I saw the way you looked at her, Bruce. You can't deny it."

"Clark, I _just met_ the woman-"

"Yes, and you reacted like you'd just been slapped with a fish."

"I did _not_."

Clark laughed. "Well, not exactly. But I saw it. Just ask her to dance, Bruce. And while you do that, maybe get to know her a little, too."

The girls reappeared at that moment, laughing.

"That was _too_ funny." Lois was saying. "Did you see her face?"

"It was." Diana giggled.

"What are you talking about?" Clark asked, a curious expression on his face.

"Nothing." Lois said as they came to a stop. "We just ran into Vicki Vale in the restroom."

"Ah. Anyways..." he continued, extending his hand towards Lois. "May I have this dance?"

"Of course!" Lois exclaimed, taking his hand in hers and all but dragging him towards the dance floor. Bruce noticed Clark wink at him before leaving.

"I think she's had a little too much to drink already." Diana observed.

Bruce nodded. "I think so too."

"Well, at least I'm not drowning in the Delaware Bay with her this time."

Bruce was so absorbed with his thoughts, he almost didn't hear her. "What?" He looked at her in surprise. She laughed. "A few weeks ago, Lois dragged me along with her to this beach party and, long story short, we both had slightly too much to drink that night before we ended up in the water and… I'm sure you can figure out the rest."

Bruce chuckled. "I can…" He looked out over the dance floor, where he spotted Clark dancing with Lois. When Clark noticed him, however, he shot Bruce a look that said: _Hurry up and get out here!_

"Do you want to – " Both Bruce and Diana started at the same time, stopped, then laughed. When their laughter subsided, Diana grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor as a new song started up.

 _Heart beats fast. Colors and promises. How to be brave. How can I love when I'm afraid to fall? But watching you stand alone, all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow. One step closer…_

Diana turned and faced Bruce as he pulled her close. The two fell into easy pattern, him leading her across the floor. They even passed by Clark and Lois at one point, at which Clark threw Bruce another wink. He hardly noticed, though, his attention was focused solely on the goddess-like woman in his arms.

 _I have died everyday waiting for you. Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years. I'll love you for a thousand more…_

In this moment, there was nothing to each of them except the other. Bruce saw something he wanted in her, but shouldn't, couldn't, have. Diana saw something she couldn't quite explain. Both saw, or maybe felt, a kindred spirit. One that had gone though similar heartache and pain, but also comfort and joy.

 _Time stands still. Beauty in all she is. I will be brave. I will not let anything take away what's standing in front of me. Every breath, every hour, has come to this…_

 _One step closer…_

* * *

 **A/N: And one step away. I'll be the first to admit that Bruce and Di might have hooked up a little too easily but, whatever. He always ends up pushing her away eventually… And before you say:** _ **They're all too OOC!**_ **I did that on purpose because this is an AU fic, and they didn't go through the exact same experiences, and therefore don't act the same way. Also, I'd kinda like to see if any of you can guess the exact Harry Potter scene Donna was watching in the first part. As always, thanks for reading, and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Clark, Lois, Diana, and Bruce where standing in a corner of the ballroom at the gala, preparing to leave.

"You were right Lois, this was fun." Diana was saying.

Lois nodded. "I told you it would be."

Next to the two girls, Bruce and Clark were talking.

"Well, I should get going, I've got to feed the animals." Bruce was saying.

"I thought Alfred did that stuff."

"Not for the horses."

Diana's head snapped to the side. "You have horses?" From beside her, Lois laughed knowingly to herself.

"Uhmm.. yeah. Three, actually."

"That's so cool. I love horses. I rode them as a little girl, before we moved to Metropolis. I had to quit after that, though, with work and all."

"Really? You should come to the Manor sometime and ride with me." The words were out of Bruce's mouth before he realized what he was saying. Luckily, Diana seemed exited by the prospect.

"That'd be amazing!" She exclaimed. "Are you free Thursday afternoon?"

Two days from now? "Of course."

She smiled at him just as Lois spoke up.

"If you don't want to walk back to Metropolis you better hurry up, Di."

"Coming." Diana called over her shoulder at her friend. "Bye, Bruce, Kal."

"Later, Di." Came Clark's reply.

"Bye, Princess."

Diana looked over her shoulder at them with a soft smile.

As she disappeared into the crowd after Lois, Clark turned to his friend.

"Princess?" He asked with a smirk.

Bruce shrugged. "See you around, _Kal_."

"Childhood nickname." Clark explained, somewhat embarrassed.

 **XXX**

Diana woke up the next morning to a loud meowing right next to her face.

"Kanga…" She half-groaned at the cream cat. "Go wake up Donna."

'She's your cat." Donna's voice came from the doorway. "And I'm already up, which means you should be too."

Diana sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Where are you going?" She asked, now noticing that her sister was dressed up nicer than she usually was.

"I'm going out with some friends, and probably won't be back until two or three."

Diana glanced at the digital clock that she kept on her bedside table as she began getting dressed. The glaring red numbers told her it was already after ten o'clock. Luckily, she didn't have anything of extreme importance to do today and would most likely end up on the couch, in front of the TV, with snacks.

"Well, have fun." She called to her retreating sister, whom Kanga was trotting after, still hoping for food.

"I will! Bye!" Donna called back, though it was now muffled by the distance between them. Diana heard the main door of the penthouse open and close, then the padding of paws back towards her room. With a chuckle, she grabbed a hairbrush from her vanity and headed for the kitchen, a happy Kanga at her heels.

Kanga jumped onto the counter to watch Diana as she made her own breakfast, and then meowed happily when she pulled a small can of tuna from the cupboard. She opened the can of tuna, then proceeded to carry her hairbrush, Cheerios, and Kanga's tuna into the living room. She unceremoniously set everything on the glass coffee table in front of the sofa before leaning back, Cheerios in hand.

"What do you want to watch?" Diana asked her cat, who was now on the coffee table, eating her own breakfast. Diana reached over, picked up a pile of DVDs, and began to rifle through them. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban… that case was empty, Donna must not have replaced the disk after watching the movie yesterday. It was either Babe, To Kill a Mockingbird, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Princess Bride, or A Dog's Purpose. Diana opened the case for A Dog's Purpose and traded that disk out for the Harry Potter one. She set the cases aside and leaned back into the couch.

The movie had barely started when there was a knock at the front door. "It's open!" Diana called. The door opened and closed, and footsteps could be heard coming towards the living room. Shayera walked in to find her friend stretched out on the couch, watching a movie, with Kanga lying on her stomach. The now empty tuna can and cereal bowl lay on the coffee table alongside her hairbrush.

"Looks like you're having fun." She observed.

Diana shrugged and sat up, which Kanga protested to with an irritated meow. "Care to join us?"

Shayera smiled. "That's exactly what I came to do." She strode across the room and plopped down on the couch beside Diana. "What are we watching?"

"A Dog's Purpose."

A few hours later, after the movie, Diana and Shayera were in the kitchen, eating a late lunch.

"So, how was coffee with Lois yesterday?" Shayera asked as Diana sat down next to her at the island.

"It was pretty good. She actually ended up dragging me along with her to a charity gala in Gotham."

"Of course she did. Anything exiting happen? See any new faces?"

"Well, I got to meet Bruce Wayne. And Clark was there, too."

"You did? That's neat." Shayera said.

"Yeah. Did you know he had horses?"

Shayera shook her head. "But you would be the one to figure that out, wouldn't you?"

Diana just shrugged. "You know me. He even invited me up to the manor to ride."

"Really?" Shayera said, suddenly exited. "Are you going to? When?"

"Yep, tomorrow afternoon."

"Diana! Why didn't you tell me you where going on a date? And with Bruce Wayne, no less."

"It's not a date, Shay. We're just meeting up to hang out and have fun."

"Mhmm. You said he invited you, right?"

Diana nodded.

"Then it's pretty much the same thing as a date."

Diana sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're insufferable."

"Yes, but you love me anyways." As if to prove her point, Shayera threw her arms around her friend in a tight embrace.

 **XXX**

Bruce was in the stable, washing a saddle, when Alfred walked in.

"Master Bruce, you have tidied up enough, surely? Haven't you already cleaned five saddles, six bridles, all five stalls, and all three horses?"

Bruce didn't even look up from his work. "I told you Alfred, I'm having someone up tomorrow to ride. I don't know if she rides Western or English, if she prefers a small horse or a bigger one, what size helmet or boots she wears, or anything like that."

"Oh? I didn't know you where trying to impress a woman."

"I'm not trying to impress her."

"Whatever you say, Master Bruce."

He watched his charge for a moment, then spoke again.

"Dinner will be ready shortly. I'll be back to get you then."

Bruce made an affirmative noise as the butler walked away. Once he was satisfied with the saddle's cleanliness, he began to put things back into place. Alfred walked in again then.

"Ah, Master Bruce?"

"Yes Alfred?"

"You washed each horse earlier, correct?"

"Yes." Bruce turned to face the butler, a question look on his face.

"Well… ah, Wolf may have rolled in the mud some."

"Did he really?" Bruce asked, striding briskly past Alfred and out of the stable until he was standing next to the pasture, where he had turned his three horses, Diamond, Wolf, and Storm out to graze earlier. Sure enough, the gray Andalusian gelding was grazing near the fence, splotched with mud.

"Wolf…" Bruce groaned. He could hear Alfred chuckle to himself, and Bruce shot him a look over his shoulder. Wolf just glanced up and looked at them as if to say, _what?_

Well, Bruce had until tomorrow to (not) impress Diana.

* * *

 **A/N: Here it is! Took me long enough, huh? I may have woven a little bit of my horse-loving self into both Bruce and Di here but whatever. Also, the scene that Donna was watching in the beginning of the first chapter was in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when they're all in the Shrieking Shack and Snape comes in, and Harry proceeds to hit him with an Expeliarmus charm, which somehow knocks him back into a bed frame or something like that. Last but definitely not least, huge thanks to TheSilverPegasus for help on both this chapter and the last one. She isn't writing WonderBat stories as of yet, but I'm trying to get her to. As always, thanks for reading and please leave a review!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Diana stood outside the door to Wayne Manor, trying to summon the courage to knock on the door. Usually she would be calmer and relaxed, more herself, but after she had told Shayera about Bruce yesterday, she had been so determined to prove to Diana that he had asked her on a sort of date. So determined that she had stayed until Donna had come home and told her about it, and of course Donna agreed with Shayera. Diana had ended up sitting on her bed for hours, listening to her friends talk about it. Eventually they had gone to sleep, but only after they'd made Diana admit it was a date. Then she had only said it to satisfy her friends, but now she wasn't so sure. Was it a really a date? More importantly, did Diana want it to be one?

 _Focus!_ Diana chided herself. _Just knock on the door first._

She raised a fist to the door, took a deep breath, and knocked. She waited a few moments before the door opened to reveal an elderly English butler.

"Come on in, Miss…"

"Diana Prince." She supplied with a smile as she stepped inside. The foyer alone was grand, with its tall windows and elegant décor.

"Master Bruce should be down shortly, Miss Prince."

As if on cue, Bruce appeared at the top of the stairway, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. He was trying to pull a sweatshirt on over his head as he hurried down the steps, and almost fell as a result. Alfred made a disapproving sound as he watched his charge struggle to pull on his shoes. Diana giggled.

"Sorry," Bruce apologized. "Lost track of time."

"That's alright." She said as he finally stood up straight before her. "As long as you're ready now."

He nodded. "Right this way."

He led her out of the manor, down a side path, and to the stables. Inside, they stopped side-by-side in front of the three stalls holding Diamond, Wolf, and Storm.

"Take your pick." Bruce said, gesturing towards the three horses. Diana stepped toward Diamond with an outstretched hand, and Bruce turned to the tack room, trusting that she could handle the mare. He returned with two bridles and a saddle to find that Diana had already put Diamond into one of the two grooming stalls.

"You seem eager." He stated, setting the saddle and bridles over the open door of Diamond's usual stall.

"I am." She replied enthusiastically, coming over to stand next to him. "Who are you going to ride?"

"Wolf, I think. I'll be right back." He excused himself, disappearing back into the track room. When he returned with the rest of the tack, he found that she had already put Wolf into the other grooming stall. Diamond was standing patiently beside Diana in the other one, with only a bridle on.

"Hurry up, slowpoke." She teased with a smile, patting the mare's neck.

"You don't want a saddle?" He asked, setting the remaining tack on Wolf's now open stall door. She shrugged. "I prefer to ride bareback."

"I'll be ready in a minute." Bruce said, pulling a brush from a nearby tack box and getting to work.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Bruce and Diana were leading their mounts from the barn into a ring. He couldn't help but watch as she mounted the mare with ease. It was obvious she'd worked with horses before, her posture and the way she handled her steed was absolutely perfect.

"Coming?" She asked over her shoulder, clicking for Diamond to walk.

"Yeah." He said, slipping his foot into the stirrup and swinging up onto Wolf's back. He pushed the gelding into a trot, wanting to catch up with Diana. When he did he slowed to a walk beside her.

They stayed like that for a while, until she kicked Diamond into a trot and pulled ahead of him. He couldn't help but take a second admire her and the way her raven hair billowed freely in the wind behind her.

She turned Diamond towards one of the weathered jumps set in the center of the ring and pushed the mare into a canter before soaring over the jump. He almost expected her to fall off when they landed, as she wasn't using a saddle, but she managed to stay on, and look graceful at the same time.

Diana turned Diamond to the next jump and went over it perfectly too. Ace suddenly came out of nowhere, barking loudly. Spooked by the noise, Diamond bucked, and Diana fell, sliding right off her mount and landing on the ground.

Bruce instantly turned Wolf towards where Diana had fallen and trotted towards her. However, Ace beat him to her and began licking her face. She laughed loudly and pushed him away as she sat up.

"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly as he dismounted Wolf and helped her up.

She laughed again, and the sound of it warmed his heart. "Yeah, I'm alright."

Her face took on a rosy hue. She was embarrassed. They both turned to look at Diamond, who was now looking at them innocently from the other end of the ring. Ace barked again, jumping up and putting his front paws on her leg. She reached down and stroked his head before turning to Bruce.

"Who's this?" She asked.

"Ace. I probably should have warned you about him earlier, he gets exited around new people."

She didn't respond at first, just continued petting Ace. After a moment, he spoke again. "It's getting late, we should go back in."

Diana straightened up and nodded. "Okay. I'll get Diamond."

Ace followed her as she walked across the ring towards the mare. He lead Wolf back in the stable and untacked him while she came in with Diamond a little while after and did the same. Eventually, they were standing facing each other at the base of the steps leading to Wayne Manor's front door.

"Sorry we didn't get to ride for very long today. Maybe you can come back on a weekend, and we can ride out in the woods." He said, sounding hopeful.

"Sure, that sounds fun. Next Saturday? At three, maybe?"

"That's good for me. And just in case – "

He fished around in one of his pockets before pulling out a pen and paper, writing something on it, and holding it out to her.

"My phone number." He explained as she took it.

"Thanks." She said cheerily, slipping the paper into her pants pocket.

"How are you getting home?" He asked, suddenly realizing there wasn't a car in the driveway, and that she lived much too far away to have walked.

"My sister should be here soon."

"Would you like to come in until then?" he asked.

"Sure." She smiled at him before following him up the steps and into the manor again.

As they stopped in the foyer to take off their shoes, she asked, "How do you live here?"

He looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I would get lost in a place this big. I forget where the bathroom is in the penthouse sometimes, and it's an annex of my bedroom." She explained with a teasing smile.

He laughed at this. "You wouldn't believe how many times I got lost in these halls when I was younger. Tim still does, and he's lived here for years now."

"Your adoptive son?" She asked. When he nodded she continued, "Where is he?"

"He's at a friend's house tonight. Do you want to sit down? There's a sitting room just down the hall."

She nodded, and he led them up the steps, to the left, and into an elegant sitting room. She plopped down on the sofa, and he sat beside her. Ace, who had followed then from the stable and into the house, jumped up to Diana's right and put his head in her lap. She absentmindedly pet him as she turned her attention to the man sitting to her left.

"So, you're a dog person then?"

He nodded. "I guess. I've never really had a cat."

"Really?" I've had two, not counting the one I have now."

"The building you live in allows pets?"

She nodded. "Yep. I don't know what I would have done if they didn't allow it. Or if for some reason they stopped. One of my friends, Shayera Hol, she has a lilac crowned Amazon Parrot named Kendra."

"A parrot?" he asked disbelievingly.

She nodded, and then laughed. "She made me help her bring it into her penthouse. It got loose in the elevator, and before we could catch it, the doors opened and it flew out into the hallway. Scared the life out of the poor lady waiting for the elevator."

He laughed at the mental picture that created.

Bruce opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Alfred walking into the room.

"Miss Diana, Miss Donna is here for you."

"Thank you Alfred." Bruce said instead, as he and Diana stood up from the couch and followed the butler out of the sitting room and back to the foyer. They found Donna waiting patiently by the door, trying unsuccessfully to hide her excitement. As Diana leaned down to pull on her shoes, Bruce held his hand out for Donna to shake.

"You must be Diana's sister. I'm Bruce."

"That's right. I'm Donna."

"Alright," Diana said, standing up straight again. "Ready sis?"

Donna nodded in reply. "Ready."

"Bye, Diana, Donna." Bruce said as he pulled the door open for them.

"Bye." Donna said over her shoulder, while Diana turned and waved, calling out a "See you later!"

"Details!" A voice yelled from the back seat, immediately after all the car doors were shut.

"Geez, Shayera, are you trying to give the girl a heart attack _and_ makeher deaf?" Donna asked as she put the car back into gear and pulled out of the driveway.

"Why are you even here?" Diana asked her friend.

"She wanted details, and, to be honest, I do too."

"So tell us!" Shayera said.

"Okay, okay, just stop yelling, please."

 **XXX**

Diana pulled a bag of chips down form one of the cupboards, trying to ignore Shayera and Donna as they sat at the island, talking about anything and everything having to do with her 'date' with Bruce. She pulled out a stool and sat across from them, prepared for further questioning.

"I think he definitely likes you." Donna said.

"Why's that?" Diana asked nonchalantly, trying to ignore the way she suddenly felt happy at the thought.

"Well, he invited you up to his house, he invited you inside, and he gave you his phone number." She listed excitedly, ticking each reason off on a finger.

"You're going back up right?" Shayera asked.

"Like I said before, _yes_." Diana said.

"Right. It's just, this is big, Di. This might be your first real relationship with a guy since – "

Shayera stopped dead in her tracks, faced with the fierce glares of the two sisters.

"I'm sorry! Oh my god – "

"It's okay," Diana said with a sigh. "I understand you're exited. But I don't even know if I like him that way, or if he does. I don't want to push anything, y'know?"

Both girls nodded apologetically. "Just, keep us updated, okay?"

Diana nodded. "Of course."

"I should go. It's late, and I have work tomorrow." Shayera said, slipping off the stool and picking up her bag.

"Bye, Shay." Both girls called to their friend's retreating form.

"Bye!" She called, just before the penthouse door shut loudly.

The siblings sat in a silence at the island for a moment, suddenly faced with the gloomy atmosphere Shayera had seemingly fled from.

"She didn't mean to bring that up, you know." Donna pointed out.

"I know." Diana sighed, getting up and putting the chips back. "I'm going to bed."

Donna nodded as she got off her stool, understanding that the conversation was over. "Night, sis."

"Goodnight." Diana replied quietly as she walked from the kitchen, down the hall, and into her bedroom.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter done! I feel like I'm focusing more on Diana than Bruce in this fic, I don't know why its like that, and I'm sorry if it's bothering anyone. Thanks for reading, and please review!**

 **~Uni**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Bruce turned and buried his head in his pillow, groaning at the sudden burst of sunlight that entered the room when his butler threw open the curtains with a flourish.

"I do believe it's time for you to get up Master Bruce."

"What time is it?"

"Almost half past ten in the morning."

Bruce paused. That was kind of late, even for him. In all fairness, though, he hadn't been able to fall asleep until sometime around midnight, his thoughts too consumed with Diana. He grumbled again at the reflection, but sat up and tossed the covers aside.

"What's the agenda for today?" He asked, standing up.

"Well, Master Timothy is coming home today at noon, and Master Damian should be arriving shortly afterward."

"Anything else, Alfred?"

"Not unless you have something planned, Master Bruce."

"You know Damian will want to do something." He pointed out, stretching as he made his way over to the large walk-in closet that was next to the bed. "Maybe we should surprise him."

Alfred paused for a moment, thinking, before responding with, "I'll see what I can do Master Bruce."

The sound of the butler's receding footsteps stopped abruptly and a shout of "Ace, no!" could be heard echo down the hallway and into the bedroom before claws scrabbling on the hard wooden floor signaled that Ace was running down the stairs with Alfred in pursuit.

 **XXX**

"I'm home!" Tim called, throwing his arms open wide as he burst through the front door of the manor. He was greeted by Ace, all slobbery kisses and wagging tail as he jumped on the young boy.

"Shoes off, Master Timothy!' Alfred called from somewhere in the manor, probably the kitchen.

Tim calmly kicked off his sneakers, leaving them wherever they landed on the floor, not even noticing when Ace picked one of them up before following him to the kitchen.

"What's for lunch?" He asked, setting his bag on a stool.

"You're going to be eating at the plaza with Master Bruce and Master Damian."

"Oh, right." Tim sat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. "When is Damian getting here, anyway?"

"Any moment now." Bruce answered for Alfred as he entered the kitchen. He immediately noticed Ace chewing on Tim's shoe and calmly reached down and plucked it from the puppy's mouth before handing it to Tim. "Will you be ready to leave by the time we are?" He asked, knowing that Tim wasn't very good at being ready to do anything on time but always said he would be.

"Of course." Tim said. "I just need to put my bag in my room. We're taking Ace with us, right?"

"Do you think Damian would let us leave him behind if there was any chance we could take him with us?"

"Not at all." Tim said.

"Then yes, we're taking Ace with us."

"I'll get the leash." Tim offered, sliding off the stool and running toward the door only to be stopped by Alfred's surprisingly strong grip on his arm.

"Put your bag away first, Master Timothy."

"Okay…" Tim relented, changing course so he was running out of the room, this time with his bag, in the direction of his bedroom, once again leaving his sneaker behind.

The melodious chime of the doorbell carried from the foyer to the kitchen, signaling to Bruce and Alfred that someone was at the front door.

"That's probably Master Damian." Alfred said, nearly tripping over Ace as he left the room. Ace's frantic barking accompanied the scrabbling of his claws on the slippery wooden floor as he tried to keep a grip on it as to not fall in his mad dash to beat the Englishman to the door.

The puppy had easily taken to the young boy and a strong bond had quickly formed between them. Ace obeyed Damian when he wouldn't listen to anyone else, and Damian could get Ace to do things he wouldn't do for any other person. It was amazing yet infuriating at the same time.

"Master Damian, you know you can just- oh. Hello, Miss Talia." Alfred was surprised to find Talia as well as Damian on the other side of the door, but quickly recovered. "Come on in."

Talia's heels clicked on the hard wooden floor of the foyer, the noise that was once so alluring to Bruce now just loud and annoying. He had to force his feet to carry the rest of his body towards the foyer, desperately hoping Tim wouldn't decide to come back downstairs just yet.

He found Talia, Alfred, and Damian standing in an awkward little semi-circle waiting for him to arrive.

"Beloved, I need to talk to you."

"Don't call me that." Bruce said tiredly, coming to a stop before the small group. "What do you need?"

"Can we speak in private?" Talia asked, tilting her head up slightly to look at him.

"Yes."

"Good." Talia said curtly, turning on her heel and leading him through his own house, making him feel oddly out-of-place as he followed her into the same sitting room he'd been in with Diana before.

"What do you need?" Bruce asked curtly, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.

"It's about Damian… I need you to take full custody of him."

"Why?"

"I… can't take care of him anymore."

"You don't want to."

"No! Look, either you take him or let me."

"Does he know about this?"

"Yes."

They locked gazes for a moment, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife. One wrong word, and this could turn into a fight.

"Okay."

Talia seemed surprised at his easy acceptance, but quickly masked it with her usual regal air and a curt nod.

"I'll have everything sent to you." She said before walking away. He almost hoped it was the last time he'd ever see her. He'd hoped that before, too, but then she'd come back with his son.

By the time he got back to the foyer, Talia was gone and Tim had taken her place, with Ace's leash in hand.

"What did she want?" Tim asked, twisting the end of Ace's rope leash around his hands nervously.

Bruce sighed, glancing down to meet Damian's expectant gaze.

"Can we… talk about this later?" He asked.

"Of course." Alfred responded, him, Damian, and Tim all knowing that later could very well be never.

After a beat, Tim spoke up. "Are we still going to the plaza?"

"Of course." Bruce said, snapping back into focus. "Are you all ready?"

After a chorus of yes's and a clamor to the door, they were finally on their way. The car ride was filled with an awkward tension, everyone lost in their own individual thoughts. The tension was finally broken when Bruce's phone rang and he picked it up.

"Hello?... Oh hey…. Yes…. No, we're all on our way to the plaza…. Yeah we have Ace, too… Oh, alright, see you there then…. Bye."

Tim and Damian turned away from Bruce, not really expecting him to say anything, but happy when he decided to.

"Dick and Barbara are going to meet us at the plaza." He said nonchalantly.

Damien's eyes immediately lit up at the thought of meeting his older brother, having not seen him in a long time, but he stayed quiet.

"Cool!" Tim said, a little too loudly.

The remainder of the ride was in a much lighter atmosphere, everyone's mood lifted by the thought of seeing the happy duo of Dick and Babs.

"Wait, where and when exactly are they meeting us?" Tim asked as he struggled to drag the wriggling puppy out of the car.

"The café, in a few minutes if they aren't there already." Bruce responded.

"Come on, Ace." Damian said as he started leading the way to said café, the dog following obediently, much to Tim's frustration.

Bruce quickly noticed that Dick and Barbara were indeed already there, Barbara's wheelchair being hard to miss, especially for him. Damien's pace quickened when he saw them, causing Ace to bound forward suddenly, pulling Tim, who still held the other end of his leash, along with him.

Bruce had to smile when Dick jumped up and wrapped Damian in his arms, lifting the much smaller boy clean off the ground, Ace happily jumping around from person to person while Tim tried desperately not to trip anyone with the leash. He was relieved when Barbara picked Ace up and set him in her lap, ruffling his fur.

"Hey, Bruce, how have you been?" Dick said, setting Damian back down on the cobblestone.

"Good." Bruce said. "What about you, Dick, you look tired."

"I've been better." Dick shrugged. "But I've been worse too."

"Have any of you ate lunch yet?" Barbara asked.

"No." Was everyone's response, save for Bruce's mumbled, "I haven't even ate breakfast."

"Then let's eat." Dick said, sitting back down and waving a waitress over.

 **XXX**

"Babs, you don't need a new pair of shoes." Dick said for the millionth time.

"Neither did you." Babs said, pointedly looking at the bag Dick was holding in his left hand. "Be patient."

"It didn't take me an hour to pick them out!"

Everyone else watched with amusement as Dick tried to pull his stubborn girlfriend away from the display rack. Everyone except Damian and Tim, who were playing with Ace. Damian was making the puppy do tricks some adult dogs didn't know how to do, and Tim was watching, and getting slightly frustrated when Ace wouldn't even sit for him. Just when it looked like Ace was going to obey Tim, he was distracted by Barbara's sudden cry of resistance.

They turned around to find Dick pushing her wheelchair, with her in it, towards them. Babs was trying to stop him, and calling him not-so-nice-names in the process.

"Can we go back to the manor?" Tim asked suddenly.

"So desperate to get away from us?" Dick teased.

"Yes." Damian deadpanned, in that way were people couldn't tell if he was being serious or sarcastic.

"You're definitely your father's son." Babs said, ignoring the death glare she received from Bruce in response.

"Alfred's here." Bruce said. "Are you two coming for dinner or not?"

"What do you think?" Dick said, exited by the prospect of one of Alfred's home-cooked meals.

"Let's go then." Babs said, her earlier irritation at Dick forgotten. "We'll see you guys there."

"I think I see Alfred." Tim said, not even bothering to look behind him as he began walking across the plaza.

"See you in a little while then." Bruce said before starting a little jog to catch up with his two sons, who were already almost at the car.

Dick and Babs watched them go with small smiles on their faces.

"He looks happier, don't you think?" Babs asked as Dick turned and pushed her towards their own car.

"Who?"

"Bruce, of course! He's not quite as dark and broody anymore. I wonder why."

"It could be anything, Babs, we haven't seen him in months."

"That's true, but, I dunno, I just have this feeling…"

"Maybe we'll ask him."

Barbara scoffed. "Then he definitely won't tell you anything. Honestly, Dick, have you met the man?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Dick joked.

 **XXX**

"I take it Master Richard and Miss Barbara will be coming here for dinner?" Alfred asked as he pulled plates from one of the many cupboards in the kitchen.

"You would take it correctly then, Alfred." Bruce said, taking the plates and utensils from the older man and handing them to Tim, who went into the dining room to set the table. Ace suddenly bolted through the kitchen, claws once again scrabbling for purchase on the slick floor as he raced toward the front door just as it opened.

"We're here!" Dick announced, pushing the heavy wooden door shut behind him.

"In here!" Bruce yelled back.

Barbara came in first, followed closely by Dick, who was trying not to trip over Ace as he jumped around his legs.

"There are far too many people in this kitchen." Alfred announced suddenly. "Why don't you all go to the dining room and wait until dinner is ready?"

"That's Alfred's way of saying get out of my way." Dick whispered to Barbara, who snorted and lightly slapped his shoulder.

Bruce, ignoring Dick's translation, silently motioned for Dick, Barbara, and Damian to follow him. They ran into Tim, who directed a questioning glance at the four.

"Alfred wants us out of the kitchen." Damian explained.

"Oh." Tim replied, turning on his heel to follow the group. "Okay."

That's not really what was bothering the young boy, though. Dick, Barbara, Damian, and Bruce all looked soft of… worried, and lost in their own thoughts. He knew better than to ask though. Bruce would deny anything was bothering him, Dick and Babs would both brush it off, saying it's nothing, and try to act happier for the rest of the night. Damian would just glare at him, not saying anything, silently willing him to shut up.

Tim couldn't help but feel as if he was being left out of something, even when Dick suddenly brightened up when they entered the elegant dining room.

"I'm sitting here!" He announced, bringing everyone's attention back to the moment as he over-dramatically flopped down in the chair at the head of the table.

"Oh, no you're not." Bruce and Barbara said in unison. Both of them shared a slightly creeped-out glance with the other until Dick burst out laughing at the sight, infecting everyone else in the room with his giggles.

"What on earth is going on in here?" Alfred questioned, carrying a platter of food into the room. Dick had fallen off the chair and was laying on the floor, gasping for air, a guffaw occasionally escaping his throat.

"That... wasn't even that funny." Tim gasped, his hands on his stomach.

The corner of Bruce's lips twitched upwards as he watched Damian struggle to hold in his laughter, strangled giggles escaping the young boy as watched Dick roll over onto his face.

Barbara looked as if she would be on the floor as well, if not for her wheelchair. She was so out of breath she wasn't even laughing, just gasping for air as her shoulders shook with silent giggles.

"Master Richard, please get off the floor." Alfred said calmly as he set the platter down on the table.

"Right... sorry." Dick said, sitting back on his heels before getting to his feet. "I'll sit over here."

Dick sat in the chair to Bruce's right, with Barbara next to him, and Tim and Damian across from them.

The meal was filled with small talk, of work and casual things. When Alfred returned to collect the dishes, Dick stopped him.

"Actually Alfred… could you sit down? I have an announcement to make."

"Master Richard-"

This time it was Bruce that interrupted. 'I have to tell you all something too, including you, Alfred."

Alfred pulled out the chair to Damian's left and sat down. "Go ahead then, Master Richard."

"Well, um, you see…" Dick stopped, fidgeting in his seat. Next to him, Barbara rolled her eyes and took over for him. She took his right hand in her left one and lifted their conjoined hands up above the surface of the table. The ring on her finger caught the light in the room, lighting up the diamond brightly.

"We're getting married."

A silence fell as everyone just simply stared at the couple for a moment, too surprised to say anything.

"Congratulations!" Damian shouted suddenly, scaring the life out of everyone as he stood up, nearly knocking his chair over backwards in the process. Bruce suddenly laughed, reaching forward and trapping his adopted son in a crushing bear hug.

"Oh, um, thank you." Dick stuttered, his face heating up as Damian, Tim, and Alfred joined the hug. Ace barked happily, influenced by the positive energy of the others in the room.

Barbara cleared her throat, and opened her arms wide when the five others in the room turned toward the noise. "Can I join in?"

"Of course." The group moved the surround Barbara with even more congratulations.

"Bruce, didn't you want to say something?" Dick interrupted, changing the subject.

"Oh, yeah..." Bruce was suddenly the uncomfortable, fidgeting one as everyone's attention turned to him.

"Is it about Talia being here earlier?" Tim asked when Bruce stayed silent.

"Talia was here earlier?" Dick asked, his voice accusatory. "What did she want?"

"Yes." Bruce cut in. "She was here earlier. She wanted me to take full custody of Damian, or let her."

Damian stared down at his feet, ignoring the glances directed his way.

"You didn't let her, did you?" Dick spat, upset with just the thought.

"No."

Everyone visibly relaxed, and Damian looked as if he was about to cry from the stress of it all.

This time, the group hug was formed around the youngest member of the family.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm actually not very happy with this chapter, but it's been done for a while (totally didn't forget to post it before leaving for four days) and I'm kinda just too lazy to rewrite it so here it is. Alt** **hough, it is getting a bit easier to write as I think I know where the story is going a bit better now.**

 **Also I'm working on two new oneshots at the moment, and StormCloud11 and I wrote a oneshot together that she should be posting soon.**

 **~Uni**


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